The custom-built bass was crafted from the same piece of wood used to built Grateful Dead frontman Jerry Garcia's "Tiger" electric guitar.

It vanished at the 1978 Lorelei Festival in Germany, after Starship -- with whom Sears was playing at the time -- canceled a show. The crowd rioted, stormed the stage, and stole band equipment, including the "Dragon" bass.

Turns out the instrument's current owner bought it in 1991 from a fellow musician. It sat in a closet until the owner saw a photo online and read about Sears's sad story. The German owner contacted Tom Libber, who built the bass, and offered to sell it back for $4,000.

Sears was "ecstatic" to recover his long-lost bass, the newspaper reported.